TMX Group CEO Kloet ’Looking at’ Crowdfunding Technology

Eric Lam

October 3, 2013 — 2:45 PM EDTOctober 3, 2013 — 2:45 PM EDT

TMX Group Ltd., owner of Canada’s largest stock exchange, is investigating the “potentially game-changing” use of crowdfunding as a source of capital markets investment, Chief Executive Officer Tom Kloet said.

“It’s an interesting development that’s becoming more and more real,” Kloet said, after speaking at the Investment Industry Association of Canada annual conference in Toronto today. “We’re watching it.”

In crowdfunding, entrepreneurs go online and seek cash from the general public to help fund projects, including potential products or even art.

Kloet declined to say if Toronto-based TMX Group was considering building its own version of the technology or if it was looking at an acquisition.

“We haven’t formed a view yet. We’re looking at it and trying to understand what it means and do investors understand what they’re getting into when they go through the crowdfunding format,” he said. “Things like that will test the boundaries of investor protection versus the need to efficiently let people get capital.”